Summary: The Evolution Of Women In Advertising

Throughout time the evolution of American advertising has drastically changed. What hasn’t changed is the way that women are being presented. From the roaring twenties to modern time magazine ads have always advocated the main focus to be a woman’s beauty. As time goes by the advertisement industry focuses more on things like big breasts, tiny waists, long legs, and of course beauty. For instance, Chanel, a perfume line, constantly misrepresents their models in there ads by making the main focus to be their bodies.

Many popular magazines such as Vanity Fair and Vogue publish ads that have women portraying sexy roles. This causes women/girls to emulate these models in magazines. “The anxiety of nonrecognition” is a quote that Jean Kilbourne emphasizes in, in her popular article “The More You Subtract,

the More You Add”. She also argues that advertising is one of the most potent massages and that it’s toxic for a girls self-esteem. Girls and young women are being encouraged through these ads to be a certain way. Many ads such as Chanel promote their models before their product.
Ever since the early 1920s, ads have always used an unrealistic women to be presented in there ads. It’s always a tall skinny female who has the perfect body and a beautiful face. It’s not the fact that these models are skinny and beautiful, it’s the way the ads have them presented. Basically, ads have always been about perfection and representing something that can never be
achieved. Kilbourne argues that,“The emphasis for girls and women is always on being desirable, not on explaining desire.” The expectations that are put into ads are practically impossible to reach. Considering, the common women isn’t 6’1, size 00, and absolutely stunning with features that are impossible to even have.
Aside from all the controversy between ads and models. It’s important to recognize the vast difference between ads from back in the 1950s till now. Clearly modern day ads are completely different from ads back then. For example, Chanel’s 1950 ad features a woman who looks conservative and fashionable. The model in the ad is wearing a black dress with sophisticated black gloves. Unlike the common ad, this ad includes 4 different Chanel products. Surprisingly the focus of these ads are the products. At first glance a consumer will notice the products that Chanel offers before noticing the model Due to the fact that the model is behind the products, Chanel is trying to implement a simple message. I believe the message presented in this ad is that if you use Chanel’s products you’ll be classy (like the model). Once again, this is a prime example of an unrealistic message being presented in an ad. Also, the
model looks to be a young women who’s skinny and beautiful two key things that have sticked with advertisements since the beginning and that will move onto the future.

Chanel’s recent ad includes the models to be practically naked. This definitely becomes an issue in our society, because women are constantly represented as sexualized objects. The model is seen wearing only a rope with little flowers on it wrapped around her body. The Chanel bottle which is the size of her body is in her lap covering the front of her body up. Without the bottle covering her body it might as well have been a pornographic image. Luckily, the Chanel bottle is covering the model up. This image is without a doubt a modern example of the sexualization of women in ads. The Advertising industry is constantly objectifying women in ads. The model has flawless skin, almost as if it was photoshopped (which it was). It’s clear that the model is tall and very skinny.

Nowadays promoting products is more about selling the image than the actual product. It’s as if the idea of advertisement is completely disregarded. It’s outrages the way marketing has changed the concept of

advertisement.